What do flats, prefolds and fitteds have in common? They all need a waterproof cover. If you use them without a cover you will soon have a mess on your hands (or the car seat, or your mother-in-law’s carpet, or the doctor’s rug).

The neat thing about a diapering system that involves covers is that often you can use a single cover throughout the whole day. You can wipe out any pee that gets on the cover and if there is no escaping poop that soils it then you can use it over and over again. And, if you’re like me and love to coordinate baby’s diaper with her outfit, there is no better choice!

Covers come in several makes and models … varieties, that is. Here is a rundown on the three basic types:

• PUL: Also known by its full name, polyurethane laminate, this is one of the most widely used materials in cloth diapering. It is a synthetic material that is totally waterproof, thin, stretchable and durable. It can withstand years of washing and use if cared for properly. In covers, this material is usually all it is made of (plus snaps or aplix and edging). Some of the more popular brands are Thirsties, which come in snaps or aplix as well as a whole slew of colors (Willow is sporting a Thirsties Duo Wrap above); Bummis, which come in many cute prints; and Flip covers, which are made by the folks who make BumGenius diapers.
• Fleece: Fleece covers or soakers are another option. Fleece, by its inherent nature, repels wetness — when you wash a fleece cover or soaker it’s practically dry when you remove it from the washer. Fleece does suffer from compression wetness, meaning that if your baby is sitting in a wet diaper for hours (like in a car seat on a long trip) then it may cause some of the wetness to escape. Fleece is super soft, super comfortable and if you opt for a soaker instead of a cover then you don’t have to mess with snaps or aplix. Many WAHMs (work-at-home mamas) make fleece soakers — that is where we got this beautiful one Willow is wearing below.

• Wool: Wool is a third option. It is generally a little more costly than the others but once it’s been prepped it doesn’t even need to be washed with every use unless it’s overtly dirty. It’s natural, breathable, soft, comfortable, super absorbent and ideal for babies.

Posted on August 3rd, 2010 by monica
Filed under: Cloth Diapers, The Cloth Diaper Dish | No Comments »

Prefold diapers are one of the most inexpensive cloth diapering options available. They are one step above flats and have their own unique beauty and charm.

They are dubbed prefolds because, unlike flats, they contain more than one layer and do not have to be folded as flats do. A typical prefold is made up of three distinct sections — a center section that has more layers and is more absorbent than the outer two, which are made up of fewer layers.

When choosing prefolds, you want to get what is known as diaper service quality diapers, or DSQ. These are not only superior because they have more layers but also because they will stand up better to the rigors of washing. You will want to look for numbers that look like this: 4×8x4. This refers to the layers in each section — the outer sections contain 4 layers while the inner section contains 8 layers.  I would recommend at least 4×6x4 but an 8-layer center is preferable.

Prefolds do come in a wide variety of sizes and materials. There are two main varieties that you will encounter when shopping for prefolds:

• Chinese prefolds — these are generally the rougher variety of prefolds. While they are soft, they aren’t as soft as Indian prefolds. They are made of heavier fabric and use heavier stitching.
• Indian prefolds — the softer of the two varieties, these may show wear sooner than their Chinese counterparts.

Other options you may encounter:

• Bleached or unbleached: Bleached diapers are white, while unbleached retain their gorgeous natural color (see above), Unbleached diapers hide stains better (important if you don’t get a lot of sunny days) and also don’t wear out as fast as bleached diapers do (the bleaching process weakens fiber).
• Sizing: Many stores carry several sizes — for a breakdown, including weight ranges, check out OsoCozy Prefold Cloth Diapers
• Materials: Most prefolds are made of cotton, but there are quite a few other fabrics used, such as hemp, bamboo and organic cotton.

What is so awesome about prefolds?

• Inexpensive. Prefolds are a little more costly than flats, but not much — the small ones start at around $1.50 per diaper.
• Natural fibers. Most prefolds are made of natural fibers.
• Easy to use. Since there is no elaborate folding involved, prefolds are easier to use than flats (although you often will have to fold down one end for a perfect fit).
• Can be trifolded and placed in a cover, or put on like a traditional diaper and fastened with pins or a Snappi

Are there any cons? Maybe!

• Requires a waterproof cover.
• If you dry on a line, they can be crunchy (to remedy this, give them a 15-minute spin in the dryer prior to hanging).
• Must be washed on hot (with a tiny bit of additive-free detergent) then dried about six times prior to use (this is called prepping — see picture to the right of a prepped prefold next to its brand new, unprepped cousin).

Prefolds are attractive, simple and pure!

Posted on August 1st, 2010 by monica
Filed under: Cloth Diapers, The Cloth Diaper Dish | No Comments »

Flat diapers *are* your grandma’s cloth diaper. They are the most basic form of cloth diapering there is and are most likely what your mother used to diaper you (or your grandma used to diaper her). Flat diapers (or flats, as they are more commonly referred to) are simple squares of cloth, generally constructed of a fabric called birdseye but often are made of other materials such as hemp, bamboo or organic cotton.

The flats you want to use for serious cloth diapering should measure at least 27″ x 27″ before washing. Generally speaking, the flat diapers you can pick up at any big box store such as Target or Wal-Mart would be better used as burp rags or even doublers. My personal recommendation are these flat diapers from Little Lions — the weave is nice and tight and they measure 32″ x 32″ before washing, which will give you ample room to alter your fold from newborn to toddler. You could also use these OsoCozy Unbleached Birdseye Flat Diapers (dozen) as well as any other good-quality brand.

Why would you want to use such a basic diaper?

Flat diapers have many advantages!

• Inexpensive. Flats are usually just over $1 a diaper.
• Super quick drying time. Flats dry really fast because they are just a single layer of cloth. They are ideal for drying outside too — on a warm sunny day it takes a matter of minutes for them to dry!
• Custom layers. You can, with a variety of folds, customize the layers of absorption — right where your baby needs it.
• Trim fit. Flats are super trim.
• Options. You can either fold and place in a cover, or use pins or a Snappi. You can also try out a variety of folds for a custom fit.
• Grows with your baby. As your little one grows you have a huge variety of different folds to try out or you can make y0ur fold longer or wider. It truly is the original one-size diaper.
• Easy to hand wash. Flats are the ideal diaper for camping or vacation.
• Can be easily dyed. If you love the idea of flats but wish for color, they are easy to dye using a fiber-reactive dye such as Dylon. Tie dye is also an option for even more fun!

Are there any cons to using flats?

There are a few! Of course, these may or may not be a con for you.

• You have to know how to fold them. Here are a few folds — we personally favor the kite fold.
• You have to use a waterproof cover (Willow, pictured above, is featured coverless, but you would not want to put on a pair of baby pants and hit the mall like this — it would be quite the wet mess).
• If you prefold them before storing, you have to keep them away from your baby, who might fling them all over her bedroom (not that I know from experience or anything!).

We use mostly flats and I love it. I find the simplicity appealing and find comfort in folding a laundry basket full of still warm diapers. I love the trim fit and I love the quick drying time. It’s worth trying a few out if you can get ahold of them.

Posted on July 30th, 2010 by monica
Filed under: Cloth Diapers, The Cloth Diaper Dish | No Comments »

Policies: All prices include shipping to anywhere in the United States. These will be shipped the same day or day after I receive your PayPal payment. Smoke/pet free home.

Item: This is a lot of  2 Fuzzi Bunz (bottom row is left). They are all in varying states, so I’ll describe them separately!

Asking: $20 ppd/lot $10 ppd for both that are left or $6 ppd each

First: Blue old-style (pointy tabs) large. Elastic is not in good shape, could use a replacement. PUL, snaps and inner in VGUC. No stains!

Second: Pink old-style (pointy tabs) large. Same as blue — elastic is not in good shape, could use a replacement. PUL, snaps and inner in VGUC. No stains!

Third: Yellow old-style (pointy tabs) large. Elastic is a little better than the first two, PUL and snaps are in VGUC. The inner lining is a little more rough/bumpy than the others. Some discoloration on ends of tabs. No stains!

Fourth: Yellow new-style (squared tabs) medium. Elastic is a little better than the first two, PUL and snaps are in VGUC. The inner lining is a little more rough/bumpy than the others. Some discoloration on ends of tabs. No stains!

Condition: The microfiber towels are brand new — they have only been washed, never used (each is pictured folded into thirds, and then in half). The BG doublers — one has been washed, not used (one on the left). The other two have been used. One is slightly blue from washing with a tie dyed flat that wasn’t done bleeding (the one on the right). The one in the middle looks dingy but there are no stains. As with any microfiber, there may be a few fuzzies/strings trapped in the fibers!

Asking: $12 $11$10 ppd for the whole lot. Will consider breaking the lot up — please ask if interested!

Item: BumGenius AIO, zinnia (dark pink)

Size: Medium

Condition: This is in very good used condition (VGUC). The PUL is great, the elastic is still tight, velcro, tabs and laundry tabs all work great. There are NO stains. The only issues are the fact that the sewn-in microfiber is tinted blue from washing with some tie-dyed flats that weren’t done bleeding. You can *almost* detect this when viewing the microfleece liner. Also, the insert isn’t as fluffy as they are when they are sold brand new. There are a few signs of wear on the velcro itself. Tabs are curling just a little. And there is a little pilling between the tabs and the velcro tabs.

Asking: $12 ppd

SOLD!

Item: 2 Thirsties Fab Fitted, orange and bluish

Size: Both are medium

Condition: They are both in GUC. No stains in either, on the diaper itself or on the super-soft liner each comes with. The main issue is that the velcro looks used, although it still holds with no problem and the laundry tabs *do* work. The bluish one does show more velcro wear and also the tabs between the laundry tabs and the regular tabs are stretched out. I’m not totally sure how to describe it other than that.

Asking: $12 ppd for both, or $7 ppd each

Item: This is a like-new fitted. It looks like a WAHM made it. It’s super cute!

Size: Large

Condition: It is in like-new condition. We never used it. The only thing is that it looks like a string is coming loose. Velcro super sticky, elastic great.

Asking: $8 $7 $6 ppd

Item: This is a fleece-covered super cute striped AIO.

Size: I’m pretty sure this is a medium/large. It has no closures — you must use pins or a snappi.

Condition: It is in very good used condition. Just some minor pilling I guess you’d say. No stains!

Asking: $7 $6 $5 ppd

Posted on July 26th, 2010 by monica
Filed under: Cloth Diapers, For Sale | No Comments »

ALL SOLD!

Item: Happy Heiny pocket trainers — candy pink, lavender, burgundy. Pull up style — no snaps or aplix.

Size: These are all mediums (35-45 lbs). These do NOT include inserts.

Condition: They are all in very good used condition (VGUC). No stains, no odors. Elastic is tight. They weren’t used a whole lot so there wasn’t much of a chance to wear them out.

The candy pink one’s top seam is a little frayed.

The burgundy one has an area where the top seam has come unstitched a little in the front. The hole isn’t in the PUL, it’s just separation. It would probably be an easy fix.

See pics for both issues.

The lavender one has no issues.

Asking: $10 each, or $28 for all three

Posted on July 11th, 2010 by monica
Filed under: Cloth Diapers, For Sale | No Comments »

Who can resist such a great deal? I can’t. These are normally $12 a pair so this is a savings of 72%.  And the girl package has two organic pairs! No, I am not affiliated with BabyLegs — this is just too good of a deal to pass up. If I had more cash I’d totally get more to put back as baby shower gifts.

Check them both out here.

Facebook girl special:

WOW!!! A Special Pack for Girls for hitting 10,000 Fans on Facebook. Get this great pack at a 72% savings. It includes one pair of Pink Leg Warmers, one pair of Caterpillar Organic Leg Warmers and one pair of Duchess Organic Leg Warmers. All for only $10.00. No substitutions can be made on this.

Original Price: $36
Sale Price: $10

Facebook boy special:

WOW!!! A Special Pack for Boys for hitting 10,000 Fans on Facebook. Get this great pack at a 72% savings. It includes one pair of Police Leg Warmers, one pair of Go Fish Leg Warmers and one pair of Goal Leg Warmers. All for only $10.00. No substitutions can be made on this.

Original Price: $36

Sale Price: $10

Posted on July 9th, 2010 by monica
Filed under: Internet deals, Shopping | No Comments »

ALL SOLD FOR NOW!

I’ve been doing a lot of  “fine tuning” on my stash. Tried a few new things, love a few new things and looking for new homes for a few more things!

I currently have the following items available. All prices include shipping to anywhere in the United States. These will be shipped the same day or day after I receive your PayPal payment. Just contact me through the comment section, monicadee at gmail.com or my Facebook page.

All pics get bigger, so click away!

SOLD!

Item: Happy Heiny pocket diaper, light pink

Size: One size. Includes both inserts.

Condition: Excellent used condition. Like new. Only worn twice, washed 3 times.

Asking: $14 $12 $10

SOLD!

Item: One dozen unbleached Indian prefolds

Size: Premium, 4×8x4

Condition: Excellent used condition. Very soft, no stains. May be a loose thread or two but in overall excellent shape.

Asking: $28 $26 $24

SOLD!

Item: Thirsties Duo Wraps, set of 2 (ocean and meadow)

Size: 2

Condition: These are in excellent, barely used condition.

Asking: $22 for both, $12 each

SOLD!

Item: Happy Heiny diaper cover (light pink)

Size: One size

Condition: Excellent used condition. Only worn once, washed twice. The white band around the thing got a little sketchy in the wash but it works fine.

Asking: $6

SOLD!

Item: Happy Heiny Microfiber Inserts, lot of 3

Size: Large. They measure 15″ x 5 1/4″.

Condition: These are brand new. Never prepped, never worn, never nothing!!

Asking: $10 $9 for all three.

SOLD!

Item: Dream Eze Organic AIO (mandarin)

Size: Large

Condition: Excellent used condition. Only wore a couple of times. Washed about 5-6 times. Line dried.

Asking: $13

SOLD!

Item: Two Flip covers (moonbeam/ribbit)

Size: One size

Condition: Excellent used condition. Snaps and elastic are great. The only issue is that the blue one was purchased as a “second.” I can’t tell there is anything wrong with it but someone at Cotton Babies put a black X on the back of its tag.

Asking: $12 for the ribbit, $11 for the moonbeam, or $22 for both.

Posted on June 28th, 2010 by monica
Filed under: Cloth Diapers, For Sale | No Comments »

I just got these the other day and they simply don’t work with Willow’s unique body type. They are in like-new condition. The dark purple (blackberry) has been washed twice and worn once, and the green (kiwi) has only been washed once, never worn.

Pictures get bigger! Click away!

Asking: $18 for both, postage paid. If you only want one, they are $10 each, postage paid (US only — international considered but will add additional postage). They retail new for $15 each. SOLD

Payment: PayPal only please!

Contact: You can contact me through here, Diaper Swappers or my Facebook page!

Posted on June 23rd, 2010 by monica
Filed under: Cloth Diapers, For Sale | No Comments »

These are just a few photos of Willow in one of her new cloth diapers. This is a Happy Heiny’s one-sized pocket diaper with snaps. She is almost 6 months old and weighs 19+ pounds. She is a large-sized baby. But happily this diaper seems to have lots of room to grow. She has one more snap to go in the rise and quite a few in the waist (by comparison, her BumGenuis “one size” diaper is at full rise). It’s a very soft diaper too, inside and out. So far so good. I’ll have to test it out at night some time. And it’s pretty cute although the color is super light. If I had picked out one on my own (and paid full price) I would have likely gone with a darker, bolder color. But since I got a super deal on it, who cares, right?

Posted on June 19th, 2010 by monica
Filed under: Cloth Diapers | No Comments »

Just two days ago I happened to catch a sale at the Cloth Diaper Superstore’s Facebook page. It was super quick action, it’s kind of like a first come, first served, so you have to be really fast. I managed to snag a Fuzzi Bunz pocket in the now-retired lavender daisy print, a Happy Heiny one-sized pocket diaper in light pink and a Happy Heiny one-sized cover in light pink for super cheap. Everything is brand new, just in opened packages.

Today they came. Unheard of. Super fast shipping, just awesomeness all around. I’m stoked about diapers. I get excited about things Willow will be peeing and pooping in. So cool. Love it.

We mostly use prefolds and covers but I use what we like to call “fancy diapers” at night … this means pocket diapers or all-in-ones. So it’s wonderful to be able to add to my stash with things we need for much less than buying these things at full price.

Posted on June 18th, 2010 by monica
Filed under: Cloth Diapers | No Comments »